I am excited to serve as AAWR’s president this year. We have great ideas and plans for the society.

However, before I share some of that, I’d like you to join me in sending a large thank you to Dr. Szabunio for everything she accomplished in this role last year. I look forward to continuing the great work she has started.

Our goal this year is to grow the “brand” of AAWR. To do this, we plan on tackling the following tasks:

Continue to revamp the website for efficiency and better user experience

Explore the prospect of corporate support to underwrite some of AAWR’s activities

Help put a face to AAWR by participating in more inter-society events

Charge In-Training and Medical Students nothing in dues so membership is FREEif you fall under that category

Our hope and belief is that with the above changes, AAWR will be able to build upon its past successes and succeed in new ways.

I look forward to this year with you and seeing how we can make AAWR grow.

Barbara Pawley, MD

Assistant Professor of ER and Pediatric Radiology

Let’s start the new year by taking a look back at some key moments and stellar accomplishments.

Many events at RSNA are certainly worth mentioning. AAWR had another successful speed mentoring session, which was well attended and will return next year by popular demand. We also heard many words of wisdom regarding unconscious bias during our educational session. Approximately 1600 viewers saw the first Facebook Live Question and Answer Session, which was sponsored by AAWR. It focused on the currently hot topic of burnout.

At the RSNA meeting, a packed room of GE representatives and AAWR members came together to hear a panel discuss topics ranging from work-life balance to lending a hand up to those around us trying to climb the ladder to success. You will find a summary of each of these events here in the newsletter.

Looking forward, we have some important meetings on the horizon including the ACR and SPR 2018 meetings, both in May, to name a few. We are also moving forward with the AAWR Fellowship program, which is off to a good start under the direction of M. Elizabeth Oates, MD, FAAWR.

An article I came across recently that may interest our members discusses Radiologists’ burnout and was published in the January edition of JACR. It is titled “The Reading Room Coordinator: Reducing Radiologist Burnout in the Digital Age” by Andrew B. Rosenkrantz, MD. Et al.It highlights some creative methods of dealing with a condition that will probably affect each of us at some point in our careers. One successful idea presented was the employment of assistants in the reading room who answered phone calls and made follow-up calls.When I queried a colleague who has one of the most challenging positions (overnight ER), he said working with others collectively, including residents, helps foster a positive feeling of accomplishing a common goal and diminishes the feeling of burnout. Each of us probably has some ideas to share on this subject…. So let’s make a difference!

Respectfully submitted by AAWR Secretary,

Barbara Pawley, MD

AAWR R&E Dinner

Submitted by Michelle Dorsey, MD

The 3rd Annual Celebration Dinner supporting the AAWR Research and Education Foundation was a great success. Forty-four friends and colleagues gathered on Sunday night, November 26th, at the Signature Room on the 95th floor of the John Hancock Building. Over a spectacular view of the Chicago skyline, AAWR President Margaret Szabunio, MD, FACR kicked off the proceedings proclaiming it had been an exciting and interesting year. The AAWR is launching its new fellowship program this year at RSNA with 19 new members expected to be inducted into the inaugural class here at RSNA. Maria D Kelly MD, BCh, FACR was welcomed as the incoming President and will be succeeding Dr. Szabunio shortly. Amy Patel, MD was recognized for her enthusiasm, giving a new face to the AAWR through social media. The speed mentoring sessions at previous meetings were also noted to be well received, and we look forward to the event again this year. Vice President Dr. Elizabeth Kagan Arleo encouraged members to send articles for submission to the journal Clinical Imaging, of which she is Editor-in-Chief. She is also looking for more clinician reviewers, and one can earn 3 CME for every review completed. The event was a wonderful opportunity to network with members old and new, and a number of residents were in attendance. The future of the AAWR is promising!

On Wednesday, November 29, women leaders from throughout the radiology community came together to provide mentorship for residents, fellows, and other female radiologists, early in their career. A broad scope of practice was represented, from large university academic centers to small private practices. A variety of topics were covered, ranging from how to excel early in your career to choosing the right type of practice. The event was well attended and sparked a number of thoughtful conversations on several subjects. A brief summary of each table discussion is provided below:

One of our former AAWR presidents, Dr. Susan Ackerman, talked about women in leadership. She extolled wisdom on taking small steps at first, and to set realistic goals for promotion. She reminded us that we could start in leadership positions within our own local practice and to work our way up from there. Dr. Ackerman advised us to pick specific areas that interest us, whether in politics, research, education, etc, and to find specific people at national meetings, introduce yourself, and state why and how you’d like to get involved in their organization. She discussed the merits of networking, especially at big meetings, like RSNA. On a similar note, Dr. Ackerman wanted her mentees to be aware of “Imposter Syndrome,” especially when you begin to achieve higher leadership positions, and she recommended a number of interesting books to read on this topic, including a few by author Brene Brown.

At Dr. Claire Bender's table, we discussed the value of obtaining additional degrees. She emphasized that choosing which additional degree to obtain of course depends on your individual interests. Whether to obtain an MBA or MPH or another degree will depend on whether you want to pursue administration, business, statistics, etc. She further recommends that starting earlier is better. She encouraged women to have fun and to make connections with another woman, especially in our field, where there are few women. She recommended turning all educational exhibits into publications, as most of the work has already been done. Lastly, she reminded us to be persistent when pursuing our goals.

Life in private practice was discussed by Dr. Catherine Everett, who has spent her career in a small private practice setting in Eastern North Carolina. She chose this primarily based on geography, which she reminded us, is a perfectly valid reason to choose a practice. Dr. Everett recommends looking at many options and not deciding on a certain practice style too early in training. She also told the resident and fellows that we can still be active on a national scale and involved in a variety of organized radiology settings from the prior practice sphere. She discussed the pros of a small group practice, especially the personable nature and flexibility. She enjoys covering a number of different subspecialties and disease processes and recommended this type of practice to others who like the same. Finally, she reminded us that it is okay to take breaks in our careers and offer the time when we have it. She emphasized that we should not think that if we do not have time to get involved on a broader scale right now, that does not mean that we will never have time in the future, and we can volunteer when its right for us on a personal level.

Dr. Amy Kotsenas gave us advice on things she wished she would have known earlier in her career. This is such an interesting topic for a young radiologist, because of course hindsight is 20/20, and everyone wishes they had had some better advice earlier on in life. Primarily, she recommended to the radiologists in training to have self-awareness and understand what makes them happy. She gave some insightful advice on dos and don'ts in your first job, especially to do your homework about a practice before you join it, and to never burn any bridges. She advised to save tough questions on your interviews for the HR department, and once you’re settled in a job, know who to go to for tough issues, such as sexual harassment in the workplace. Dr. Kotsenas advised that it is ok to stay in your first job for a long time, but it is also ok to leave for a better fit. She encouraged us to build strong networks on a national basis early on in our career and to find other women both within our practice and within radiology as a whole that you bond with, as they can be excellent connections as well as sources of information and support throughout our careers.

Dr. Katarzyna Macura led the topic "climbing the ladder." She discussed with us how academic positions can have a certain degree of job security, as well as the importance of knowing the pathway and requirements for promotion. This will help us to meet appropriate milestones. She recommends finding the "faculty development office" within your institution and regularly checking in with the staff there. In the first year, she discusses, how your first priority is to be accurate and to learn the ropes. However, after that, you can work on finding your niche and to discover a way to be uniquely valuable to the institution. She encouraged us to be flexible and to learn new skills so that we can be the "go-to person" for something specific. Dr. Macura also emphasized that we should not shy away from self-promotion, especially when we have evidence to back it up. She promoted the importance of finding mentors, both locally and nationally.

The topic of career choices was tackled by Dr. Geraldine McGinty. Dr. McGinty wanted us to remember that many radiologists will change jobs, especially earlier in their career, so you are not trapped in one type of practice from the beginning. She encouraged us to make sure our interest in the practice is clearly stated to those hiring, and to follow-up on the jobs we especially want. Of course, new hires should always thoroughly check all contracts and have a lawyer review all documents before signing any agreement. She emphasized how we should trust our gut feeling during the interview process, and to look for a practice for is a good fit for you as an individual. She recommended that the practice that we choose should be members of the ACR and that the most important aspect of choosing a practice to join is the people who work there, and the least important aspect should be the salary.

At her table, Dr. Carolyn Meltzer discussed how to make a smooth transition into practice from training. She emphasized how it may be advantageous to seek a fellowship in the city you want to settle in, in order to make early connections during the job search. She also recommended finding someone at your current institution with contacts and reminded the residents that many of the chairs know one another, which can be especially helpful when you are pursuing an academic position. Dr. Meltzer reminded the residents and fellows to apply broadly for our firstjob,and to be open to many types of practices and locations. Of course, reach out to your mentors and build a broad base of contacts.

Focusing on “work-life integration,” Dr. Margaret Szabunio, who is also the outgoing president of AAWR, extolled the importance of learning to delegate tasks. She helped us to remember that we are not "superwoman" and nothing is going to be perfect, and that is okay. She talked about how important it is to have help with both home and childcare duties, especially if you want to excel as a physician. She also wanted us to not feel guilty if we take time for self-care. She advised the trainees to pursue a careerina speed that is comfortable for their individual life. Whether your career progresses quickly in the beginning or not, either is okay and we can climb the ladder at our own pace. She recommends to seek help from colleagues and to be aware that burnout is real. She enjoys many hobbies and uses these past times as “mental cleansing time.” Lastly, she recommends having a short commute as possible.

Dr. Ellen Wolf gave us tips on how to get involved in organized radiology. First and foremost she said to, "jump right in." She recommended investigating many different societies based on our interests. She suggested approaching people at meetings who are in those groups or committees that interested us, and to be persistent, in order to let them know that we are interested. Dr. Wolf also told us that although many people bring business cards at meetings, that is not enough. She encouraged to write our interests on the cards when we hand them out. This way, those committee members will be better able to remember us and be able to associate the card with the person. She wanted us to remember that it was okay to ask for help, but if we do accept a specific task to always do it well, and do it on time.

Conscious (explicit) bias is more recognizable, and therefore easier to deal with. It deals with perceptions about an individual or group on a conscious level, for example, disparate treatment of co-workers, preference for working with young vs. old, men vs. women. We are fully aware of this bias and are in control of our behaviors and actions. We knowingly conceal this type of bias for social/political correctness. This type of bias can derail the process of bringing new people into an organization.

Unconscious (implicit) bias is more elusive and much more challenging to manage. It is a pervasive tendency deeply rooted in unconscious feelings, attitudes, and assumptions (stereotypes) about people (gender, race, age, ethnicity, appearance) over a lifetime (experiences, media). We must acknowledge/accept this as natural in each of us, and know that it influences decisions and actions automatically/unconsciously, without awareness, intent or self-reflection. Unconscious bias can be favorable or unfavorable, for example, identical applications with a male vs female name were rated lower for females, given less salary, and looked on as less competent or likely to be hired. In this study, female professors were just as biased as the male professors when it came to ranking the applicants!

Gender bias exists. Females are less likely to be asked to serve as a committee chair/section head/department chair or be involved in decisions regarding promotion or space allocation. Letters of recommendation for female faculty focus more on personal attributes and are less respectful (use the first name), while are more objective, focused on achievements and respectful (“Dr.”) for males.

Cognitive science shows us that there is both a “fast brain” and a “slow brain” and both are necessary for survival in a complex world. The fast (emotional) brain is associated with survival instincts, rapid associations, emotional responses and flight/fight/freeze responses. This is our comfort zone, based on personal life experiences and conditioned reflexes. Using the fast brain results in decisions without thoughtful or deliberate consideration. The slow (thinking) brain regulates the body, balances emotions, and calms fears. It deals with morality, language, consciousness, rationality, reasoning, insight, fairness and inclusivity. It is intentionally selective, not reactive.

Diversity and inclusion are important to all organizations. They foster creativity and innovation, promote adaptability for change, and better reflect the population. By managing unconscious bias, we can develop strategies to promote and support diversity/inclusion in the workplace and recruit the best faculty talent into radiology. Our pipeline is gender challenged-nearly half of all graduating medical students are female but less than 30% of radiology faculty are women. Of full-time radiologists, females make up only 22%. We are near the bottom of specialties for the inclusion of underrepresented minorities in residency programs.

In order to mitigate unconscious bias, we must realize that biases exist in all humans. We need to transform the culture: slow down and focus (reduce fast brain), bring to light deeply-seated biases, systematically de-bias, create initiatives to mitigate practices, and apply simple approaches to control unconscious bias. Dr. Oates presented a 5-step plan to reduce bias in recruitment:

Pre-Training-Have an unconscious bias program/readings/discussion. Make it a foundation for self-awareness, intentional and transparent team-building.

Framework-Define and agree on qualifications (CV) of an ideal candidate, stay on track and add alternative criteria as needed. Make sure the job description is thoughtfully constructed to convey the culture of the organization. Word choices can carry powerful connotations-some draw in women (“collaborative”, “cooperative”) and others turn women away (“competitive”, “determined”).

Committee Composition/Task-Representation/mix should include different disciplines, ages, genders, opinions, and personalities to counterbalance biases. The committee should agree to a target goal for a number of minority or female applicants to review to guarantee a fair process. Stay on course to protect against “bias creep.” Try alternate seating arrangements to hinder the formation of unconscious power alliances that might influence proceedings and decision-making dynamics.

Selection/Interview Process-Pre-define the criteria. The CV and applicationisessential, but try to blind to name, gender, race to avoid “gut” reactions. Be cognizant of how long the interview is (travel fatigue), who meets with the candidates and be fair and consistent. Consider all aspects of candidates to their best advantage. Avoid always taking someone who is a “good fit” as it is a bias to maintain the status quo in the organization.

Meeting/Documentation-Seat members randomly around the room to avoid unconscious bias alliances that might influence decisions. Have an impartial scribe to provide an objective, reliable record of deliberations/discussions/issues dealt with, avoid nuances or misinterpretations. Make decisions after frank and transparent discussions to meet (or modify) recruitment goals. Each member’s opinion should be valued and considered. Stay on point!

Unconscious bias is easy to talk about but challenging to manage. We must acknowledge it is natural and inherent to all humans. It exists in each of us, we much recognize and accept it, apply de-biasing strategies intentionally and systematically in the recruitment process. Our brains can unlearn! Transform recruitment processes-slow down and focus to uncover unconscious bias, create initiatives to mitigate restrictive recruitment practices, and master unconscious bias to advance our diverse and inclusive work culture, bettering our specialty for all!

Unconscious Bias in Recruiting Radiology Residents and Fellows

Madeline Lewis, MD

Unconscious biases are thoughts and feelings outside of our conscious awareness and control. They are automatic mental shortcuts that allow us to quickly process information. But they also can allow us to jump to unwarranted conclusions. These biases can develop over time. Everyone has these biases, even the most well-intentioned people may unknowingly allow unconscious thoughts and feelings to influence decisions they believe to be objective. These biases often contradict our conscious values and positive intentions. Most unconscious bias is caused by well-intended people with blind spots. People can have an unconscious bias about anything: gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, weight, age, social class, height. It is triggered when quickly judging or assessing something. It is especially likely when we are in a high-stress environment, pressured to make decisions and engaged in multiple tasks.

The radiology resident landscape in 2015-2016 was 74% male and 26% female. Most recent data from 2012 show there were only 8% underrepresented minorities in radiology residencies. Blacks, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders were all underrepresented relative to their numbers in the general population. There are also underrepresented groups, most notably LGBT. Their representative level in medicine is unknown, but estimates in the U.S. population are 3.4-3.8%.

There are multiple steps to the resident selection process which must be monitored for bias:

Medicalstudent interested in radiology. Numbers of female medical students have been on the rise in recent years, but at the same time, the number entering radiology has been dropping. Interest depends on exposure, experience, mentors, technology, perceived lack of patient contact.

Decides to apply for radiology residency, reviews residency programs. Residency website and word of mouth play a role. Include diversity language on your program’s website. Try to attract a diverse pool of applicants.

Application review, selection for interview invitation. Define who reviews applications and the criteria you want to use. Pre-commit to what’s important and create a shared vision of the ideal candidate. Grade applicants on the same scale. Avoid inferring about family obligations or gaps in training. Consider candidates from multi-tier schools. Blind applications as much as possible. Most important factors in selecting for an interview per program directors were USMLE Step 1 scores, MSPE letter, grades in required clerkships, letters of recommendation and the personal statement.

USMLE-80% of radiology programs use a target USMLE score-the mean score to get an interview is 215 currently. 20% of programs only use pass/fail.

Try not to be biased by applicant name/picture (blind yourself if possible). White names are favored over black names for interview callbacks (3:2), with a bigger bias for higher qualityCV’s. “Brian” preferred to “Karen” by 2:1 ratio. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires employers to rely solely on job-related qualifications and not personal characteristics. The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces Title VII and prohibits asking for a photo during the application stage.

The applicant's school can be a source of bias-reputation and perceived prestige or academic rigor, as well as previous experience with residents from that school.

Be aware that letters of recommendation may be biased, male letters tend to be longer, more detailed, use more power words and raise fewer doubts.

The student accepts the invitation, interview. Plan the interview day experience-faculty and residents they will meet, dinner, locations. Respect an applicant’s right to privacy and confidentiality. Accept responsibility for the action of the recruitment team members. Refrain from asking illegal or coercive questions (nearly all students reported they were asked at least one potentially discriminatory question).

Decide on an interview style-unstructured, structured or semi-structured. Unstructured is least favored. Structured interviews decrease unconscious bias as you ask the same questions to each person, in order to assess job performance. Semi-structured also works: have 3-5 structured questions for all candidates that are scored, but give interviewers flexibility to dive deeper if desired.

Beware of selecting for “goodness of fit,” it implies a preference for individuals like one’s self or in-group preferences. Use a specific likeability score if you want to informally assess based on nonstandard, subjective characteristics such as personality, appearance, and common interests.

Develop a consistent rating scale.

Make sure you have diversity on your interview panel.

Create rank list-programs and students. Program directors note these factors to be most important in ranking: Interactions with faculty, interpersonal skills, interactions with residents, feedback from current residents, and MSPE letter. Make sure the selection committee is diverse in composition, give them clear requirements and create a safe environment. Leaders should model a willingness to explore and address their own biases.

Matchday and follow up. Use metrics to track the demographics of the candidate pool through the entire process. Track whether hiring qualifications were waived more often for people from certain groups than other groups. Collect data about applicants, those invited to interview, those scheduled to interview, those completing an interview, the number ranked, the rank quartiles, and the total matched.

Try to mitigate bias through education and training. Find out your own biases-take the Implicit Association Testhttps://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html. It does not measure or label good or bad intent, but measures exposure to and unconscious internalization of certain messages.

Be prepared for resistance. People may not want to change recruiting practices, many feel uncomfortable, defensive or unmotivated. Frame it in a supportive way with optimistic intentions to enhance diversity and inclusion. The future may include using artificial intelligence-screening decisions will be based on data points and AI can be programmed to ignore demographic information.

Remember we all have unconscious bias and it can creep in at any stage of the hiring process. Awareness and willingness to engage in reflection are the first steps and how change begins.

Encouraging Women Medical Students for Radiology

Katarzyna Macura MD, PhD

Over the past 10 years, the number of female physicians (including residents) has grown more than 43%. Diagnostic radiology is number 9 out of the top 10 specialties for women physicians. In 2016-2017, 44% of all residents were women, however, the percentage is under 30% for both diagnostic radiology and radiation oncology-this represents a pipeline opportunity. Women accounted for 48% of medical school graduates in 2012, 34% of all academic clinical facultyM.D.’sand 29% of radiology faculty (specialty disparity). In 2016, 46% of ACGME trainees were female, but less than 30% in radiology were female.

Females considering radiology were drawn to the intellectual stimulation and available job opportunities. Women not considering radiology had a stronger affinity for direct patient contact. Men interested in radiology were drawn to the salary. More intensive radiology exposure via a core rotation had a significantly positive impact on the decision to pursue radiology.

Radiology residency programs in the Northeast and West had higher above-median female representation than programs in the South or Midwest. Programs with a female residency program director had a greater concentration of female radiology residents. City population size,genderof faculty, residency size, and faculty size were not associated with more female radiology residents.

For 4thyear medical students applying in radiology, the most important factor was an intellectual challenge. For respondents applying innonradiologyspecialties,degreeof patient contact was the most important factor in the decision not to choose radiology. Respondents at medical schools at which dedicated medical imaging rotations are required were more likely to choose radiology as a specialty but most schools still do not require the clerkship (82%). In another study, the most influential factors for choosing radiology were intellectual stimulation, enjoying the physician role as a consultant and the radiology clerkship in medical school.

Strategies for engagement:

More exposure in medical school. Provide radiology electives with shadowing, including preclinical exposure to radiology subspecialties that have greater patient contact and demonstrating the positive impact of imaging in patient care (radiologist as a consultant). Lecturing by women increases women’s visibility. Radiologists’ leadership in medical schools is important to influence the curriculum.

More female mentors and role modelsisimportant as the students see the field as male-dominated currently.

Promote women to leadership. When women are more visible in local and national leadership, younger women can envision themselves in those roles.

Outside Programs. Radiology fairs for medical students. Didactic lectures and hands-on experience with procedures. Use of social media to raise awareness and educate. Structured pipeline programs.

Pipeline programs-Best example is the Longitudinal Scholarship Program which attracts women medical students and underrepresented minorities to Orthopedic Surgery. It started in 2004 and has 3 phases: Early awareness and exposure (local volunteer orthopedic surgeons do clinical correlation and sawbonesbioskillsworkshops), specialty immersion (orthopedic summer internship program), and annual didactics on nonclinical skills-building, board preparation, annual exposure to minority and women orthopedic surgeons (ongoing mentoring and professional development). For women, completion of the summer internship was associated with increased odds of applying to orthopedic surgery (odds ratio 51.3).

Pipeline Initiative for Enrichment of Radiology (PIER). This is a mentoring program in collaboration with Nth Dimensions to attract women and underrepresented minorities into radiological professions. It is supported by the American College of Radiology. Fourteen 1styear medical students applied and 5 were selected as PIER Scholars in 2017.

The reception room was packed on Monday, November 27, 2017, at the new Marriott Marquis Hotel for networking and to hear the lively discussion between women leaders from GE and in radiology.The panelists included:Cheri Canon, MD, FACR, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Barbara Pawley, MD, University of Kentucky (newly elected AAWR Board of Directors Secretary); Terri Bresenham, VP & CEO, GE Sustainable Healthcare Solutions; Catherine Estrampes, President & CEO GE Healthcare Europe; and, Andrea Dabal, Executive Client Director, GE Healthcare.The panelists tackled questions about challenges they have faced as women in radiology and industry and gave advice to those in attendance.The challenges faced by women in the industry and clinical medicine are more similar than different; in particular, the challenge of balance is pervasive as both the panelists in the industry and in clinical medicine addressed this topic.Dr. Pawley’s thoughtful advice, as a mother of six, about making even brief moments count and that even 10 minutes at the park can be memorable to one’s children was particularly well received. Similarly, the advice to “send the elevator back down” and mentor women in training and early in their careers was met with an enthusiastic audience response.The event was a great opportunity to network and to interact with women across all facets of radiology; additionally, there were a number of supportive men in attendance.Hopefully, this collaboration between AAWR and GE will be a recurring event at RSNA!

At RSNA 2017, AAWR held it’s first Facebook Live Question and Answer Session with Dr. Cheri Canon, MD, FACR, Chair of Radiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham who addressed questions regarding women in radiology and burnout. It was incredibly well received with 1,600 views and a reach of 3,304 and counting! Questions which were addressed included what are the most contributing factors to burnout, particularly to women in radiology, how does Dr. Canon maximize her efficiency, what practices and institutions can do to avoid burnout, and what advice would Dr. Canon give to a woman radiologist currently feeling burned out as she is considered one of the experts on burnout in the field of Radiology.

Dr. Canon touched on points that Radiology is uniquely susceptible to burnout as oftentimes, what we do as radiologists are more isolated, such as reading in a dark room, the department itself is in a different part of the hospital which could be far removed, etc. She also noted that “as service providers, we are at greater risk because we are not in control of our environment.” The example she provided was that in academic medicine, the challenge is producing high RVUs and being able to keep up with rising volumes when radiologists are attempting to keep up with other facets such as research and teaching. She notes that for women, this can be particularly challenging as many have “two careers,” the “work career” and the “home career.” She stresses that women radiologists need to take breaks and “moments to yourself,” and to “unplug” on vacation. In the workplace, Dr. Canon points out that to reduce burnout, practices, and institutions can identify particular activities that each radiologist enjoys and allow her/him to do that. For Dr. Canon, it is making sure she has time allotted for fluoroscopy. Finally, in her closing remarks about providing advice to women radiologists who may be feeling burned out, she notes that one must be “forgiving” of herself.

Nancy J. Tarbell, MD, is Dean for Academic and Clinical Affairs and the C.C. Wang Professor of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School. Previously, she led pediatric radiation oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Children’s Hospital Boston. At Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Tarbell was the founding director of the Office for Women’s Careers and the Center for Faculty Development. Read More

Dr. Daye graduated from the University of Pennsylvania MD-PhD program, with election to Alpha Omega Alpha. During residency, she designed and implemented the James H. Thrall management and leadership training (MLT) program for radiology residents at MGH. Dr. Daye completed her PhD in Bioengineering as an HHMI-NIBIB Interfaces scholar in imaging sciences. Her current research centers on the applications of artificial intelligence, machine learning and mHealth in precision medicine and value-based care delivery models. Read More

The Alice Ettinger Distinguished Achievement Award.
2017 Winner

Elizabeth Oates, M.D.
Professor & Chair
University of Kentucky

Dr. Mary Elizabeth Oates is a Diagnostic Radiology Specialist in Lexington, Kentucky. She graduated with honors from Boston University School Of Medicine in 1981. Having more than 37 years of diverse experiences, especially in Diagnostic Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Oates affiliates with many hospitals including University Of Kentucky Hospital, Rockcastle Regional Hospital & Respiratory Care Ct, and cooperates with other doctors and specialists in medical group Kentucky Medical Services Foundation, Inc.

Jacqueline R. Kelly, MD, MSc, received her Bachelor of Arts in Human Evolutionary Biology with minors in Spanish and French language from Harvard College in 2008, her MD from Boston University in 2014, and her Master of Science degree in Radiation Biology from the University of Oxford in 2013, where she conducted basic science research exploring the use of histone deacetylase inhibitors as radiosensitizers in bladder cancer cells. Read More

The AAMC Mid-Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Seminar held in Scottsdale Arizona on December 2-5, 2017, was a thoughtfully designed and well-conducted course. This intensive 3.5-day seminar aims to help attendees visualize potential paths to leadership and develop career plans toward that vision, identify networks of mentors and colleagues in academic medicine, and acquire the tools and skills necessary for leading teams toward improved performance. I am extremely appreciative of this superb opportunity provided by the AAWR and for the mentorship of Dr. Maria Kelly and Dr. Bruce Haffty.

The conference opened with panel discussion of several highly accomplished women in medicine and left us with many significant messages including: to “lean in” (i.e. attend impromptu lunches or sporting events with colleagues), to promote ourselves, and to make the leap (i.e. go for a promotion or award even though we perceive we are not sufficiently accomplished). Contrasting the differences among mentors, coaches, and sponsors, another session emphasized that sponsorship, which must be earned, is central to career advancement as this relationship opens doors and is future-driven. Another in-depth session employing the PACE Palette discussed personality types, including our own. A clear understanding of attributes of each personality helps leaders to better construct teams, communicate persuasively with colleagues, and exploit the attributes of the team members leading to the accomplishment of particular goals. A thorough session about funding challenges in academic medicine exposed attendees to research revenue issues, healthcare costs, budget deficits, and financial balance.

We also learned that making accomplishments visible enhances career satisfaction, and this visibility can be carried out in an authentic fashion. Being successful in a political atmosphere may require confidence, saying less than necessary, active listening, rapport with those at different levels, gentle communication, and establishing a panel of trusted advisors. Organization, reliability, responsibility and accountability and a track record of success can also fuel careers. Pivotal to our individual growth, time allocated for self-reflection directed our thoughts and discussions toward our ambitions and solutions to stumbling blocks, often in the presence of new colleagues.

I have already integrated many of these skills that I acquired from the AAMC Mid-Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Seminar and continue to share these pearls of wisdom with you and my female colleagues and trainees. For those of you who are at least at the Associate Professor level, I highly recommended this seminar and hope you will be supported to attend as well. You will find notable learning from the high-yield material and its discussion of topics central to the advancement of women to leadership roles in academic medical organizations.

She is currently a Professor of Radiation Oncology at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine at Rutgers University.

She received her medical degree from the University of Maryland.

After an internship in internal medicine at the University of Maryland Medical Center, she completed her residency and was selected as Chief Resident in Radiation Oncology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences.

Dr. Jabbour spearheaded the development and application of clinical radiotherapy technologies such as stereotactic body radiotherapy, image guidance, motion management, radioembolization and proton beam therapy in her department. She serves as GI Co-Chair for the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium and also is on the BTC Steering Committee. Dr. Jabbour’s clinical work focuses on improving outcomes for cancer patients by improved imaging during radiation therapy and clinical trials. In particular, she conducts research that focuses on novel drug combinations with radiation, clinical trials, and optimizing the outcomes of Lung and GI cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Dr. Jabbour also has an interest in mentoring junior faculty, residents, and students.

The AAWR Research and Education Foundation will give two certificates of recognition for professional development to fellows/residents who are both first authors and presenters of abstracts accepted for scientific presentation at the RSNA Annual Meeting, one for diagnostic radiology and the other for radiation oncology. Applicants must be a member of the AAWR on January 1 of the year of application. The online application will ask all applying residents and fellows to provide: the title of the paper or abstract and unique ID number and the applicant’s involvement within the AAWR (e.g. committee member, prior award recipient, lunch attendee, etc). Additionally, please upload the following documents to the submission form in support of your application:

Copy of the abstract

Past involvement with AAWR

The letter of acceptance

Current curriculum vitae

A letter of support from the department chair

A letter of support from the AAWR nominating member with the letter of application

Awards will be presented during the AAWR Business Meeting during the RSNA Annual Meeting.

2018 Women in Neuroradiology Leadership AwardDeadline April 16, 2018

In 2012, the Foundation of the American Society of Neuroradiology (Foundation), American College of Radiology (ACR), and American Association for Women Radiologists (AAWR) established an award to provide leadership opportunities for women in neuroradiology. Since neuroradiologists must be leaders in the field, this award is for mid-career women with demonstrated experience and promise for leadership in neuroradiology. The objectives are to provide the award recipient with additional skills and insights to enhance opportunities for advancement.

The award recipient will receive funding to cover tuition and transportation costs to attend the ACR 2018 Radiology Leadership Institute (RLI) Summitin conjunction with Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, to be held at the Babson Executive Conference Center, September 7-9, 2018. All other expenditures will be at the expense of the award recipient.

Eligible applicants must have a MD degree or DO degree, plus subspecialty certification in neuroradiology, or its equivalent for International candidates. Applicants must have demonstrated experience and promise for leadership in neuroradiology and must be a member of ASNR, ACR, and AAWR. Strong consideration will be given to applicants from practices and institutions that show a commitment to the applicant’s career development.

The Foundation of the ASNR will be accepting applications for the Women in Neuroradiology Leadership Award beginning March 15 with a deadline of April 16, 2018; late applications will not be accepted. Submissions must be sent electronically to Theresa Espinosa at tespinosa@asnr.org as indicated in the instructions.

More Women Needed in Radiology

Dr. Kathleen Ward, an inaugural Fellow of the American Association of Women Radiologists, recently acknowledged that radiology lags behind other specialties and medical school classes in gender diversity.

To boost recruitment, Dr. Ward urged that all medical students be exposed to radiology early in their clinical years.

Many of us are in the thick of residency interviews. The consensus is that we are getting more terrific candidates than ever. Some programs are now measuring their match performance not just on the board scores of their future residents, but also on the diversity of the group.

That is a positive trend. We know that what gets measured gets done. But, why is it important to make our profession more diverse?
Statistics show that business performance improves with more diverse boards and corporate leadership. Is the same true of radiology?

Also, as we face disruptions around the application of machine learning to our work, should we have to worry about the gender or ethnicity of those who perform it?

For me, the answer boils down to what I see as our core purpose as physicians: serving our patients. Specifically: our imperative to refashion our processes of care around our patients rather than around our needs. We do that most effectively when we reflect the community we serve.

This is not to say that we have to do that in a prescriptive way, but that the conversations around research direction, around technology innovation and around metrics of practice quality can be enabled and improved by bringing in diverse viewpoints and perspectives.

I'm excited about foundational work that the American College of Radiology will undertake early in 2018 under the auspices of the Commission for Women and Diversity. A rigorous survey will be conducted so that we can better understand the barriers to a more diverse radiology workforce.

I find some of the anecdotes that point to women's fear of physics or working in dark rooms worthy of an eye roll. But I'd like to have actionable real data either way. We're grateful to Dr. Pari Pandharipande of the Massachusetts General Hospital for her leadership on this important initiative.

On a lighter note: we need more women in radiology because those we have are an inspiring, energetic and cool bunch! They are my mentors, teachers and friends. Our #radxx community is strong and growing using innovative tools and partnerships to build community. We are delighted to include our #radxy colleagues because they, too, are our mentors, teachers and friends.

Wishing you and those you love a very happy holiday, and we'll see you next year!
Please share your thoughts on how we can make radiology more diverse.